Romance Flash Fiction #1: Fangirls

Inspired by my friend, Bronwyn Green, I have decided to post a series of Flash Fiction prompt fills. I will try to do this every day. Flash fiction can be a short story anywhere between 300 and 1500 words, depending on the market. The prompts come from Kate M. Colby’s 100 Romance Writing Prompts. I like that the author states in her introduction that the prompts can be adjusted to fit your preferred gender pronouns and relationship styles.

#1: Two strangers meet at a comic book convention. After spending a whirlwind weekend together and having fun adventures, they find themselves falling in love. However, when the convention ends, they must both return to their real lives in different states or countries. Do they go the way of a summer romance and let the flame die? Or, do they battle the distance and stay together? (Contemporary)

They both fell silent with the realization that, in just a matter of hours, they may never see each other again. Liv’s large, blue eyes no longer held that playful glint that Kara had so quickly grown accustomed to. She brushed a loose strand of her blonde curls back behind her ear.

Kara opened her mouth to say something, but the boarding announcement interrupted her. “Shit, I have to go,” she said.

Liv pulled her into a tight hug, and then to her very pleasant surprise, kissed her. She sighed and thought: so that’s what it’s like when your knees go weak. One of Liv’s petite hands came up to touch the side of Kara’s face as they pulled back, blinking at each other.

“I’ll text you when I land in Portland,” Kara said in a quiet voice.

Liv nodded. “Yeah, me too.”

They kissed again before Kara forced herself to head to the gate. She nearly missed the flight, but a sympathetic gate agent who probably saw the whole thing let her through the door. Letting out a sigh, she took her seat by the window and swallowed the lump that suddenly formed in her throat. Who knew four days could have changed so much?

Once they were in the air, she opened the small, rectangular gift. Beneath the birthday wrapping paper (it wasn’t her birthday) was a Dana Scully bobblehead. Kara covered her mouth, stifling the surprised laugh. She and Liv had sat beside each other at a Women in Sci-Fi panel and immediately bonded over their shared love of Gillian Anderson.

Wiping a stray tear, Kara put the toy back in her bag and stared out the window at the orange-purple sunset on the horizon with a watery smile. She wanted to text Liv to thank her, but the flight didn’t have wifi. It would have to wait.

* * *

How’s NYC?

Same as always. You should come visit.

Not enough $$, maybe next year.

I hear Portland is beautiful this time of year. And I do have a lot of plaid. I’ll fit right in.

You totally will.

About an hour later, Kara opened her email to see a forwarded email. Inside was a ticket confirmation for a flight from New York to Portland the next month – just in time for her birthday. She felt her heart skip a beat.